This article focuses on Syrian-refugee self-reliance and humanitarian efforts meant to foster it in Halba, northern Lebanon. I argue that humanitarian livelihood programming is ‘neo-cosmetic’, as the skills refugees acquire through humanitarian programmes turn out to be little more than a cosmetic accessory. While the humanitarian apparatus deliberately limits its action in order not to challenge host economies, the acquired skills do not practically enhance refugees’ possibility to be employed. Instead, refugee self-reliance is reconfigured as the ‘inter-ethnic promotion of host stability’. Relatedly, I propose that the aim of implementing social cohesion in multi-ethnic areas reveals a new ethnicization of care within the humanitarian system. Within this framework, the citizen practice of running hardware stores on a permanent basis coexists with the temporariness of refugee livelihood practices. Lastly, I rethink social membership in a refugee–host setting by adopting a practice-based approach to the research subjects in an effort to challenge the ethnic definitions of social groups and other pre-established forms of belonging.
Publishing Organizations: Refugee Self-Reliance Initiative
Author(s): Climate Risks and Self-Reliance Technical Working Group (TWG)
Publishing Organizations: International Institute for Environment and Development (IIED)
Author(s): Boel McAteer and Kellie Leeson
Publishing Organizations: International Rescue Committee (IRC) RE:BUiLD Program
Author(s): Author: Everlyn Kaumba with contributions from Priscilla Dembetembe, Belinda Muya, Elizabeth Mukami, Victor Otsimi, David Musiime, and Ned Meerdink
Publishing Organizations: Refugee Self-Reliance Initiative
Author(s): Sasha Muench
Publishing Organizations: Refugee Self-Reliance Initiative, RefugePoint, RELON Uganda, and R-SEAT
Publishing Organizations: Cohere
Author(s): Diana Essex-Lettieri; Julia Zahreddine
Publishing Organizations: Refugee Self-Reliance Initiative
Author(s): Dr. Evan Easton-Calabria
Publishing Organizations: Refugee Self-Reliance Initiative
Authors: Refugee Self-Reliance Market Systems Development Working Group
Publishing Organizations: RefugePoint and the Refugee Self-Reliance Initiative in partnership with refugee-led organizations operating in Nairobi, Kenya
Publishing Organizations: GIZ, WINS Global Consult